Wellington Board of Education Candidate: Kevin Dodds

Wednesday

Mar 27, 2013 at 8:00 AM

USD 353 District 2, Position 5

What makes you the best candidate for the USD 353 Board of Education?

To answer that question would imply that my opponents are not as capable and I would rather not degrade them in such a fashion. That is not the type of politics in which I wish to engage or that our school district needs. Besides, the true winner in this race will be the district. I will, however, tell the voters what it is that I will bring to the table when I'm elected. I will bring a common sense approach to the problems that face our school district. I will bring vigorous debate to the topics that mean the most to our students, teachers, and parents. I will roll up my sleeves and dig into each issue until I am convinced that the most viable solution has been obtained. I will do my best to insure that our students have all of the opportunities possible to succeed. I would appreciate the opportunity to serve our school district.

ONLINE BONUS question: What are some specific, local education issues you'd like to see addressed if elected?

We have many challenges facing our school district in the near future. The biggest issue will be our budget and how it is handled. With the state attempting to restructure income tax laws, it has the potential to have a tremendous impact on our funding. There will be a great need to properly prioritize and categorize our spending. We will be challenged to provide the best possible educational opportunities despite any adverse effects that may occur at the state level. Also, I believe that hiring qualified people is going to rapidly become an issue. Our district is lacking when it comes to competiveness in the job market. We need to address this situation so that we can attract the best possible teachers and administrators. With the changes that are being proposed concerning retirement and longevity pay, this will be a challenge. Our number one priority has to be the students and the education that they receive. We are responsible for providing our students with the best possible education above and beyond all else.